


Crib

by thewishingdragon



Series: Word of the Day Stories [17]
Category: Heathers (1988), Heathers: The Musical - Murphy & O'Keefe
Genre: Angst and Tragedy, BECAUSE THIS SHIT'S PROBABLY THE SADDEST THING I'VE EVER WRITTEN, So much angst, Y'ALL BETTER GET READY TO HATE ME, there's no happy ending here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 06:59:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14159322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewishingdragon/pseuds/thewishingdragon
Summary: I was told not to make this one angsty.I did it anyway.I apologize.





	Crib

**Author's Note:**

> Content warning for descriptions of miscarriages and stillbirth. Please don't read if you believe this might be triggering for you. Also, if I got anything wrong, then please don't hesitate to correct me.

Veronica had been… a sort of miracle to her parents.

When they’d found out that Mrs. Sawyer was pregnant, they’d rejoiced. They’d turned Mr. Sawyer’s study into a nursery and moved his things to a room downstairs that they’d used for storage. They painted a mural on the walls of the baby’s room and Mr. Sawyer had built the crib himself, proudly proclaiming that he’d be the best father ever.

They hadn’t known if they’d be able to conceive, but they had, and now they were going to have a baby.

At least, that’s what they’d thought.

It hurt, knowing that her baby had been stillborn. Knowing that her little boy hadn’t made it into the world. But if Sawyers were nothing else, they were resilient, so they agreed to try again.

The second time was worse.

Twins. The risk was higher than last time, but the reward would be worth it if both girls made it.

They didn’t.

Not even halfway into her pregnancy, she’d miscarried, and lost both of her girls.

And so the crib remained empty.

They almost decided against trying again. Mr. Sawyer wouldn’t look inside the nursery. He did his best to hide it, but sometimes his wife would hear him crying at night. He tried so hard to be strong for her, to comfort her in her hour of need, and it hurt her to know that he didn’t think his pain mattered. They were his children, too.

They tried once more. A boy. Mrs. Sawyer managed to make it long enough to go into labor, but something had gone wrong in the delivery room. Another stillbirth.

And the crib stayed empty.

They’d stopped trying. They decided that perhaps it wasn’t meant to be.

Then one day, the morning sickness started, and they both felt a rush of fear.

Triplets. Two boys and a girl. Mrs. Sawyer’s heart broke for each of them. She didn’t have much hope left at this point.

Still, they tried their best, and once again, they made it to term. And once again, there were complications.

Mrs. Sawyer lay on the delivery table, exhausted physically and emotionally. She’d lost so many already, only to lose three more. Mr. Sawyer held his wife’s hand, trying to offer what little comfort he could while he attempted to hold himself together.

Then, a cry. A  _ loud _ one.

“It’s a girl!”

A girl.

_ Their _ girl.

She’d made it, just barely.

They were overjoyed. They had finally done it. They had a daughter. A healthy, wonderful,  _ beautiful _ daughter.

Mrs. Sawyer had never seen her husband cry so much. She decided she liked it a lot better when they were tears of joy.

They brought her home as soon as they were able to, and Mr. Sawyer was glad he’d come home to shower and clean up the nursery while his wife was still in the hospital.

They kept a close eye on her until she started school, and even then, they did their best to make sure she was healthy. They got her vaccinated when she was old enough, and they’d made sure to watch out for any signs of sickness. They’d taught her to be safe, to be careful. And they taught her to be kind, and strong, and all the things that a Sawyer was.

Her mother taught her Hebrew and Italian. Her father taught her Spanish. Together, they taught her to be proud of her heritage, and to never let anyone undermine the parts of her that mattered to her.

They were proud of their girl, but they were terrified. They were so scared of losing her. They tried their best not to be too overbearing, lest they drive her away.

They never seemed to realize that, in keeping their distance, they  _ were _ driving her away from them.

They weren’t sure why she seemed so eager to leave home, or why they hadn’t seen or heard from her since, but it hurt.

And this time, the crib stayed empty.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment if you like! And please send me an ask on tumblr at shanes-scribbles if you want!


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